Bloody Nightmares
by Silverfox588
Summary: Both Saito and Kenshin are suffering from nightmares. They must help each other survive it.


Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm just using them.

_Golden eyes and crimson blood faced him. Every part of his body was screaming at him to move, to run away from the killer in front of him. But his body was frozen in place. His body shivered as the man stalked toward him, sword drawn and ready to remove his head from his shoulders. He raised his own sword in response, but could not get into the right position for any defense. _

_ "Murderer." The man whispered moving at such speed that he was nothing but a blur. He felt the blade slide into his chest, stopping his heart and there is nothing that he can do about it. The last thing he sees are icy golden eyes staring down at him._

Kenshin bolted upright with a cry of terror. He fell back on his futon and curled up into a ball; sobbing in relief that the nightmare is over. The storm outside had gotten worse since he had gone to bed. He knew that he was running a fever and needed to get help, but his body was too weak to do anything about it. Kenshin closed his eyes and he saw the golden eyes staring back at him again. Kenshin groaned and he heard someone open the door to his room. When he opened his eyes he saw Saito standing over him. He was soaking wet and dripping on the floor. A flash of lightening revealed that there was more than water dripping from the Wolf of Mibu. The golden eyes that usually glared at him were glazed. Kenshin sat up slowly and saw the Wolf's eyes snap back into focus for a moment, and then the Wolf sank to his knees with a groan of pain.

'He must really be injured if he is willing to show _me_ weakness.' Kenshin thought crawling over to Saito. His own body shook from the fever he was running and when he reached forward to touch Saito's face, the Wolf snatched his hand and moved it to his left shoulder. Hot blood was running from beneath Kenshin's hand. Kenshin pulled back quickly and forced his body to stand. He staggered outside, towards Kaoru's room. "Miss Kaoru!"

"Kenshin? What's wrong?" Kaoru asked coming to the door almost instantly. The minute she saw the blood on Kenshin's hands and pale, shaking frame her eyes went wide. "What happened?"

"Saito is in my room, he's dying." Kenshin said collapsing like Saito had not two minutes before. His entire body shook. "He needs help. Please Miss Kaoru, get help."

Kenshin closed his eyes and then there was nothing but the nightmares.

_Blood runs down my face, none of which is my own. It slowly suffocates me, torturing me with the memories of the faces of the people the blood did belong to. No matter what I do, the blood never goes away. It is always there as a reminder to what I really am. A killer. I see the streets running with rivers of blood and hear the cries of women and children who have just lost everything because of me. I begin to run down the street to get away from it all when a wolf as black as night blocks my path. _

_ "Where are you going?" It asks baring its teeth at me. "Running from your victims?"_

_ "Go away! Leave me alone!" I scream turning away from the wolf and running in the other directions. The wolf follows me, biting my heels every time I slow down, taunting me the entire time. I turn down an ally way and find that it ends with a heap of rubble. I turn and see that the wolf has blocked the way out and begin to panic. I reach for my sword, only to find an empty sheath. The wolf stalks closer, his teeth bared and fur standing on end._

_ "There is nowhere left to run Battousai! Now you will join the men you have killed in death." The wolf states jumping forward and knocking me to the ground. I try to fend him off, but my attempts only leave me with bleeding arms. His fangs close around my neck and I don't have the power left to scream. Then there is nothing but agony…_

Kenshin tossed and turned, unable to get away from the night terrors that plagued him. Beside him, the object of his terror fought for his life as Megumi tried to close all of his bleeding wounds and he fought for his sanity in his nightmares.

_Sharp canines sunk into the man's neck, tearing through all of the arteries as if they were nothing. He shook his head violently tearing the neck open farther and spraying him with even more blood. Dropping the body, he looked over his old enemy and loosed a long almost mournful howl. The Battousai was finally dead and now he had no purpose. He had forced himself to live as a pawn for the Meji government for ten years, simply waiting for his chance to kill the Battousai. He let out another howl, this one full of sorrow and pain. The Battousai had been his only link to the past and now that link was gone. Saito saw the men he had fought beside flash before his eyes and disappear. When he tried to grasp at those memories they slipped from his grasp._

_ Okita flashed before his eyes and began to fade slowly. Saito let out a howl of agony as he tried to remember Okita's face again and couldn't. He ran through the streets of Kyoto, crashing into anything and everyone. Blades sliced through his skin and he bled rivers of blood. Saito finally ran himself into exhaustion and collapsed. When he looked around, he was back beside the bloody broken body of the Battousai. All he could remember was the Battousai and the way he had died. There were no other memories from the Revolution, no memories of his friends or loved ones. He couldn't stand it. All he had known was gone._

_ Saito saw the Battousai's blade beside him and with some difficulty pulled the blade from its sheath. He positioned it so it would not move and backed up against the far wall. He ran forward and plunged the blade into his chest._

Saito's body suddenly stilled beneath Megumi's hands and she fought to bring him back to life. After a minute, Saito began to breathe again, but his breathing was unsteady and shallow. Beside him, Kenshin's breathing mimicked Saito's.

_Kenshin sat up and stared at the dying wolf beside him. Reaching up he felt his shredded throat and shuddered. He reached forward and pulled his blade from the wolf's chest. The wolf whimpered in pain as the steel was dragged back through his flesh and the minute it was out, he laid back on the ground._

_ "Why aren't we dead Saito?" Kenshin asked motioning to their wounds with a bloody hand. Saito didn't reply, he just curled up and ignored him. His ears were flat against his head and his eyes were closed. Kenshin walked over to him and poked the wolf hard between the eyes. "Answer me Wolf."_

_ "I killed you and everything disappeared. I had nothing left. So I killed myself. I killed us both. We were dead." Saito answered after a few more minutes of poking. Kenshin sighed and sat back down. _

_ "So you were the reason behind my nightmares." Kenshin muttered under his breath. Saito raised his head._

_ "I thought you were the reason behind mine." Saito said standing up stiffly and walking over to where Kenshin sat. They glared at each other for a moment before they both heard the sound of a battle coming closer to them. The screams of the dying made them both flinch. "I say that we abandon this nightmare. Let's wake up."_

_ "I think that will be easier said than done." Kenshin said as they moved out of the ally way and farther away from the battle. They walked side by side in silence for awhile and as they neared the edge of Kyoto, the nightmare, which had been so vivid before was becoming blurry. The dark streets were becoming lighter and the screams were fading. Then the road and scenery disappeared._

_ "Looks like this is where we part ways."Saito said looking over Kenshin, who flinched when he felt warmth over his neck. When he reached up, his neck was whole again. He willed Saito's wound to close as well and watched the sword wound close. "See you on the other side."_

_ They parted ways and went their separate ways._

Kenshin opened his eyes and saw that it was late at night. Megumi was sitting against the far wall, sound asleep. He turned his head and saw that Saito was asleep as well. His breathing was still shallow, but it was even. Then the wolf's eyes opened and he turned his head to stared back at Kenshin.

"Did that really happen?" Saito asked his voice weak and raspy. His eyes were focused intensely on Kenshin's face. Kenshin's whole body shook when he nodded slighlty.

"I think it did." Kenshin answered reaching out a hand to touch Saito's shoulder gently. Saito winced but said nothing. He closed his eyes and then opened them again slowly. His eyes were different than what Kenshin was used to seeing; Saito's eyes were completely calm and relaxed. "So, do we have a truce? You'll stop trying to kill me?"

"We have a truce, Himura." Saito said watching the shock on Kenshin's face when he realized that Saito hadn't called him Battousai. "Now go to sleep and don't have any more nightmares."

END

I know the ending was a little sudden, but I was completely lost on ideas. If you have any suggestions, I'll be happy to get them.


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